Amid cheers, chants and a charged up atmosphere, the finalists in the 2009 AKC Agility National Championship ran for the blue Sunday afternoon. Six new champions earned the right to be named the national champions of their jump height divisions. The atmosphere was electric during the finals round as the crowd cheered on every competitor and commiserated with groans when mistakes occurred. The finals course included a tough tunnel – dog walk obstacle discrimination that sent several dogs through the off–course tunnel. Nearly 900 dogs vied for the title in competition that started Friday at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center in Concord, N.C. Two 2008 champions successfully defended their titles as junior handler Daneka Hedges and her Papillon, Allie, of Marietta, Ohio, took the blue ribbon in the 8–inch jump height division, and Dee Anna Gamel and her Shetland Sheepdog, Kelsi, of Alpharetta, Ga., again won the 12–inch championship. Also prevailing as the champions of their divisions were: 16–inch: MACH Bare Cove Blue Lite Special – Shetland Sheepdog – Paulette Swartendruber of Taunton, Mass. 20–inch: Hob Nob Classic Tower of Power CD MX MXJ – Border Collie – Kim Terrill of Albuquerque, NM 24–inch: Cap of Doc MX MXJ – Border Collie – Robert Yi of San Jose, Calif. 26–inch: Gundam Seed MX MXJ XF – Border Collie – Olga Chaiko of Reseda, Calif.     Shortly before the finals started, AKC Director of Agility Andy Hartman asked volunteers to gather in the center ring and acknowledged them for making the event possible. More than 200 people donated their time to helping in and out of the rings to make the championship a success. Hartman also thanked the 2009 sponsors for their support of the event – Eukanuba and J&J Dog Supplies. "Sunday culminated in the results of three days of top competition with an exciting Challengers round and then the atmosphere was electric for the finals," Hartman said. "The stands were filled with smiles and the sounds of clapping and cheers." AKC officials in attendance at the culmination of the championship included AKC Board Member Carl Ashbey Jr., AKC Chief Operating Officer John Lyons, and AKC Assistant Vice President of Companion Events Curt Curtis. Lyons and Curtis presented trophies to the winners during the awards ceremony. Next year, the NAC returns to Tulsa, Okla. – home of the event in 2008. The 2010 dates are March 26–28. Prior to this year’s finals, the exciting Challengers round took place. The Challengers round is for those handler–dog teams who were the "runners–up" to the finalists. The first place winner of each Challenger round earns a spot in the finals. Winners of this year’s Challengers classes were: 8–inch: Gayhearts Winona The Pooh Bear MX MXJ XF – Pembroke Welsh Corgi – Darlene Paul 12–inch – Plail’s In The Know MX MXJ NF – Shetland Sheepdog – Melissa Henning 16–inch – MACH2 Dylan MXF – Rat Terrier – Angie Benacquisto 20–inch – MACH Waldon’s Tobias – Border Collie– Lauren Mitchell 24–inch – MACH Bluefire My Oh My MXF – Border Collie – Denise Thomas 26–inch – Gundam Seed MX MXJ XF – Border Collie – Olga Chaiko Placements in the Finals for the National Agility Championship were: 8" Finals 1 – NAC MACH3 Pal O'Mine Allie (Papillon) – Owner: Daneka Hedges 2 – NAC MACH5 Bomar's Beanie Baby (Papillon) – Owner: Kimberly Sisak 3 – MACH4 Hawk Hill's Tobi Bear XF (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) – Owner: Darlene Paul 4 – MACH7 Candella Cloudberry XF (Papillon) – Owner: Karen Wlodarski 5 – Livewire Its All Gravy AX MXJ (Papillon) – Owner: Daneen Fox 6 – Hye's Never Say Never MX MXJ XF (Rat Terrier) – Owner: Mary Doyle 7 – MACH Duncan XF (Toy Fox Terrier) – Owner: Angie Benacquisto 8 – Gayhearts Winona The Pooh Bear MX MXJ XF (Pembroke Welsh Corgi) – Owner: Darlene Paul 12" Finals 1 – NAC MACH5 Hilltop Kelsi Lee Kinsella NF (Shetland Sheepdog) – Owner: Dee Anna Gamel 2 – NAC MACH11 Blue Moon Shine On Willow MXF (Australian Shepherd) – Owner: Michelle A Beardsley 3 – MACH7 Triune's The Unbreakable XF (Shetland Sheepdog) – Owner: Laura Fearn 4 – MACH6 Wistwin Winter At The Beach OF (Shetland Sheepdog) – Owner: Barbara A. Bicksler 5 – MACH2 Trinity Elbereth Serrano OF (Shetland Sheepdog) – Owner: Susan Crank 6 – MACH Majestykbelcroftblinkofaneye (Shetland Sheepdog) – Owner: John Nys 7 – Plails Race The Wind MX MXJ NF (Shetland Sheepdog) – Owner: Anne Stocum 8 – MACH3 Chip Taylor XF (Papillon) – Owner: Janice Taylor 16" Finals 1 – MACH Bare Cove Blu Lite Special (Shetland Sheepdog) – Owner: Paulette Swartzendruber 2 – MACH Comebye Ballroom Blitz XF (Border Collie) – Owner: Jerry Simon 3 – NAC MACH Contact Point's Driven To Win XF (Border Collie) – Owner: Kate Moureaux 4 – MACH3 Triune's Feelin Hot Hot Hot (Shetland Sheepdog) – Owner: Karen L. Holik 5 – MACH2 Dylan MXF (Rat Terrier) – Owner: Angie Benacquisto 6 – NAC MACH2 Luka De La Brise XF (Pyrenean Shepherd) – Owner: Ashley Deacon 7 – CH MACH2 Besota's Great Alaskan Folly CDX RA MXF (American Eskimo Dog) – Owner: Rebecca L. Smith 8 – MACH4 Heath MXF (Border Collie) – Owner: Terry Le Clair 20" Finals 1 – Hob Nob Classic Tower Of Power CD MX MXJ (Border Collie) – Owner: Kim Terrill 2 – MACH3 Quicksilver Don't Blink CD NF (Border Collie) – Owner: Diane Sanders 3 – MACH Hob Nob Le Cirque MXF (Border Collie) – Owner: Sharon Freilich 4 – MACH Comebye Full Speed Ahead XF (Border Collie) – Owner: Barbara Brooks 5 – MACH Hawk Hill's Mickey Mouse MXF (Border Collie) – Owner: Darlene Paul 6 – MACH2 Lock–Eye's Lickety–Split (Border Collie) – Owner: Annie Pyle 7 – Mick MX MXJ XF (Border Collie) – Owner: Donna Rohaus 8 – MACH Barjor's Virtual Reality Emulator HSAS XF (Border Collie) – Owner: Barbara Persson 24" Finals 1 – Cap Of Doc MX MXJ (Border Collie) – Owner: Robert Yi 2 – NAC MACH2 Sagehill's Time Steppin' Jive (Border Collie) – Owner: Carrie K Jones 3 – MACH Bluefire My Oh My MXF (Border Collie) – Owner: Denise L Thomas 4 – MACH Top Gun One (Border Collie) – Owner: Greg Fontaine, Handled by Dudley Fontaine 5 – MACH Hob Nob Up Tempo Night Flight XF (Border Collie) – Owner: Terry Smorch 6 – MACH Kestrel HSAs NF (Border Collie) – Owner: Bridget McKnight 7 – Rowdy Tanner MX MXJ OF (Border Collie) – Owner: Jean Hood 8 – MACH2 Peak's Juice (Border Collie) – Owner: Marcus Topps 26" Finals (two dogs in final based on size of class) 1 – Gundam Seed MX MXJ XF (Border Collie) – Owner: Olga A Chaiko 2 – MACH Hob Nob Cult Classic MXF (Border Collie) – Owner: Channan Fosty

 
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